Bull

Looking at last year's team, the position players got approx 5850 PA. Montero 403 (in 113 games) Rizzo 701 Russell 523 Castro 578 Bryant 650 Coghlan 503!!!! Fowler 690 Soler 404 Schwarber 273 (in half a season) Denorfia 231 Ross 182 (in 72 games) Herrera 132 (and a 56 OPS+) Szczur 80 (and a 67 OPS+) Baez 80 Jackson 79 LaStella 75 Baxter 66 Lake 62 Castillo 47 (in 24 games) Al Contra 32 (OPS+ of -12...thats minus 12) Olt 16 Teagarden 15 Berry 1 First reaction: there was some real garbage on this team. I don't see the likes of Olt, Contra or Teagarden on the team at all, nor the likes of Lake, Baxter Szczur and Herrera getting 300 AB's. So what do those 5850 (lets call it 5900 since we see the offense improving) PAs go? First we put Bryant, Rizzo and Heyward 650 (San Francisco led the league in OBP last year and no one had more than 623 plate appearances - 701 for Rizzo led the league last year) and basically giving Heyward Coghlan, and Denorfia's and Bryant his from last year exactly. That improves the team enough if we stop there! Seriously, replacing Coglan and Denorfia with Heyward?! Next we Jackson's 79 AB's and 45 of Fowler's to Soler giving him 483. Give Russell Castro's 578 and Zobrist Russell's 523 Fowler drops from 690 to 600 PA's Schwarber gets his own 273, Castillo's 47, Teagarden's 15 and 60 of ross's (there's no reason for ross to be in 72 games. this leaves him 50 games and 122 PA's), 45 from fowler and 80 from Sczcur Giving him 520 PA's Give Herrera's 132 to Baez to go with his 80 leaving him at 212 (I HATE THIS) Montero stays at 403 in 113 games. He's not limited by injury this year, just by demand. That is 11 players getting over 5675 PA's, last years top 10 took 5119. last year this team used 23 position players, let say they use 19 this year. LaStella, Baxter, Lake, Contra, Olt and Berry, totaled 252. Add the 50 extras we expect and that leaves 302 PA's for the bottom part of the roster which could include LaStella, Kawasaki, Alcantara, Szczur, and 4 September call-ups Bryant 650 Rizzo 650 Heyward 650 Soler 483 Russell 578 Zobrist 523 Folwer 600 Schwarber 520 Baez 212 Montero 403 Ross 122 Lastella 70 Kawasaki 70 Contra 52 Szczur 50 Sept callups 60 Obviously these are just projections and could change with an extended injury to one of the big three. But clearly there's room for quality major leaguers. I would also suggest that any injury would result in more plate appearances for Baez. No matter who you assume is injured, there's a way to adjust to get Baez PT. (Fowler would take the most movement: Heyward for Fowler, Soler for Heyward, Zobrist for Soler, Baez for Zobrist. I can't find a team with less than 20 position players throughout the year, but I don't see a way that this team has more than 19. TL;DR This is one of the most top heavy offensive rosters I've ever seen. With Soler and Baez Scratching for PA's, and Schwarber and Zobrist's flexibility this roster is uniquely and ideally constructed. It is unheard of for a team to have 9 players with over 400PA's, but I don't see any way that this team DOESN'T. Still TL;DR So many good players! Team will be good.

I like Kawasaki over Szczur for all of 60 PA, but whatever.

Take me out of the rotation. My schedule isn't consistent enough for me to be reliable. That and I really don't think we will have more than 11 losses/losing streaks.

6 pitchers and Vogelbach optioned and/or reassigned.

If he can play 3B, he can play LF. And in the unlikely event that so many of our awesome outfielders get hurt that this is even a conversation, Bryant can back up LF, or Zob can play left while Baez plays second. The scenarios in which we are concerned about whether Candelario can play LF this year include: the team plane crashes, an unusually strong June hurricane turns Marlins park into an Atlantis type underwater dome during the Cubs' game there, Hinske decides that the mayonnaise from last year is ok for the outfielders meeting sandwiches. That's the list.

Nope

Baez at second and Kawasaki as the back up. Not an issue.

This is mind boggling. If you can't see the tweet you can't see what the response refers to. A valid point. It would be good if it turned into text. I just don't like the clutter of seeing the same tweet repeated over and over, especially if it's a big video clip or image. You are very concerned with the clutter. You should be a personal organizer. My personal organizer.

To clarify this a bit further, if it were me, I would hit Rizzo/Bryant no lower than 3/4, and Montero/P/Russell are locked in at 7-9. Literally any permutation within those two guidelines I could get on board with. As it stands now, my mathematical ideal is probably something like Heyward/Zobrist/Rizzo/Bryant/Schwarber/Fowler/Montero/P/Russell, but that probably won't happen. Why not switch Russell and Fowler? Now that we have new-and-improved fowler to lead off, fowler can be that "extra lead off hitter" Joe likes, and Russell can join the ranks of the dongers.

Then it would be: Rizzo Bryant Schwarber Heyward Zobrist whatever I just love seeing Heyward listed fourth. I live outside StL and constantly get crap over how much the Cubs are paying Heyward, how cards fans are so much smarter because the Cubs are looking to Heyward as the savior and they (cards fans) know better. I reply, with, "savior? Nah, we have three of those in Rizzo, Bryant and Arrieta. The Cubs just need Heyward to get on base in front of the big boys." It just makes them seethe that the best hitter on the Cards team last year is our third or fourth best hitter this year. So much fun.

While winning is not in any way necessary during exhibitionist games, it is, you know, still ok to do it.

Nah, we don't really have to set a line somewhere if we have a Spring Training megathread. why be less organized when you can be more organized at no additional expense? Stacks of folders laying around an office does not equal "more organized"

I made the first one a "Spring Training Games Thread" but was told that I was doing it wrong. megathredz 4eva!

yup. we are forever scarred by wood and prior spring training threads.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/tumblr_lpq4ce9J0J1qjnfl4.gif Bampersand?

Please say this isn't an actual thing.

This is what I'm getting at. With four starter-quality outfielders, Soler will be sitting a lot. On days he comes to the park in a ski mask, send him to the old clubhouse and let him start a fire in the corner. Its less about the numbers in that admittedly small sample, but more about what is painfully obvious as he shivers at the plate. i don't buy that all things are never equal. I hope that Schwarbs and Soler won't be in a straight platoon, but that Soler will be getting the bulk of PT against lefties. But with the majority of pitchers being right handed, he will be sitting some. Enough to let him sit in frigid weather. Obviously if its a tough lefty and cold out, you play a righty over Schwarber (though Baez and a likely right-handed 5th of are looking for plate appearances too, right? Additionally, if ALL outfielders struggle in cold weather, and you want Soler gaining confidence, why set him up for failure? Note: this is apart from any dependence on Solers SSS in cold weather.) it is one of a myriad factors, but it is a factor.

well, that settles it, then. goofy as hell as it looks, there are several guys who wear those You conveniently left out the part where I suggested that he's going to be sitting more than 12 games. Why not 12 where there's a chance he's worse? I recognize the small sample size. Small sample size doesn't mean the opposite of what the sample suggests is true, it just means that the suggestion is not NECESSARILY true. So even if the sample is wrong, he's going to be sitting more than 12 games, so I'll ask it again, Why not those games?

Soler struggled in the early cold weather months last year, but that's also a more universal problem for outfielders. http://www.hardballtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/P1-Position.png 7 of 45 at under 50 degrees over 12 games. He will sit more than 12 games this year. There is no reason those can't be 12 of them. He wears a freaking ski mask.

The fifth outfielder is Baez. With the first four you have why have a real fifth unless it's a glennalen hill type, or pinch runner? Victorino congratulated Kolten Wong and called him "lil bro" in a recent tweet. This must not be. I could see starting Soler in Tennessee if the first week of the season was in Chicago (or another cold weather town) it gets everyone at bats and "gets them going" early. But with the season starting in the southwest (Las Vegas, Anaheim, and Arizona) and three of those games including a DH, there's no reason to start him in the minors. I still hold he should not play at below 50 degrees.

added in edit above.

Today, the Cubs reign of terror begins. Hide yo wife, hide yo kids. I am seriously ready for some freaking. If I have to settle for fake Exhibitionist baseball, hey, that gets me excited, but in a way I feel guilty about afterwords. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF Kris Bryant ® 3B Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B Jorge Soler ® RF Miguel Montero (L) C Javier Baez ® CF Tommy La Stella (L) 2B Dan Vogelbach (L) DH Munenori Kawasaki (L) SS After the game I will take everyone out for soft serve. [bbvideo=560,315] [/bbvideo]

http://i.imgur.com/CyKTTN6.gif Don't just sit there in your shame and self loathing, fix it!

breaking news: Sky is blue.

ESPN app has back to back interviews with Maddon and Dusty Baker. So much different.